Who is your favorite and least favorite character?

[Susie]

Like Rhett & Mammy, Ashley was depressing

[Sandi]

Elia wrote: "I LOVE Scarlett. I know, she's a horrid human being, but I wanted to be her SO badly when I was younger. Melanie absolutely infuriates me though, I wanted to slap the crap out of her every time she..."

You are so right! Mellie was exasperating and Ashley was a wuss. Love the book so much for other reasons though. The only reason Scarlet was interested in Ashley was because she knew she couldn't have him.

[Sandi]

Almira wrote: "Favorite would be of course, Rhett Butler. Least, is Ashley Wilkes.

Rhett is a man of action, and has a way with words. Of course he could act because he is rich, but Ashley had been rich as well,..."

Scarlet was far from the idealist and saw the world in black and white where Ashley saw it in color. He was a bit of a philosopher and Scarlet would never have understood a man like him. Rhett was up on Scarlet's devious nature and knew how to handle her because he was like her.

[Judi]

I loved the brazen character of Scarlett and found her refreshing during a time of prim and proper "southern belles". I LOVED Rhett, the gambler and bad boy with so much passion and love for Scarlett. I loved how Rhett loved Mammy and gave her a beautiful red petticoat - loved Prissy and her precocious attitude. Ashley was my least favorite character, but he was important to show the strength of the other characters including Mellie.

Gone With The Wind is my all time ever favorite book. I have read it dozens of times and watched the movie even more - whenever I need a dose of passionate love and a much different era. I've read Scarlett a few times and enjoyed the mini-series. Of course, I always wanted to see Rhett and Scarlett unite and for Scarlett to let down her guard and show her real love for Rhett.

[chinami]

Favorite: Scarlett and Rhett
Least Favorite: Emmy Slattery

[Sandi]

I wonder if Scarlet was really such a bad character. For instance, is ambition really a bad thing? Doesn't most women manipulate or at least try to manipulate the men they love or in Scarlet's case, the men they think they love? Was it so bad that Scarlet was spoiled? Was it really her fault that Mommy and dad Gerald--not to mention Mammy catered to her all her life? Scarlet came off her high horse after Tara burned. She did what she had to do to save her family from starvation. Yes, she did trick dumbo with the store into marrying her but what if she hadn't done this? Wouldn't her family have ended up homeless? Remember how Pork couldn't milk a cow because he was a " house servant?" No one thought of milking the cow but Scarlet. At this point Scarlet was the only rational thinking one of the family. Gerald had turned crazy as a loon, and Ashley couldn't even cut a log. Melly was too sick to do anything but lie in the bed. In today's society, Scarlet might be thought of as rational and business-like. Sure, she might also be labeled as a sociopath because of her strong ambition and the need to get ahead in the game. But aren't most successful people in the world today a bit ruthless? As far as Rhett goes, i think he got what he deserved. He knew how Scarlet was and kept loving her and chasing her in spite of her faults. I also think he saw too much of himself in her--that was until Bonnie died and then he became sober and less inclined to go back to what he was, which was ruthless. "Gone with the Wind" is a great novel about the old south and is in my top ten best books of all time.

[Belle]

Sandi, I think you are right.

[Sandi]

Thank you Belle!

[Linda]

Mammy is my favorite character. She is full of wisdom which she passes on in a voice uniquely hers. She knows all of Scarlett's faults, still, she is totally devoted to her. To me Mammy is the person the Civil War was fought for... to think someone could own her is inconceivable.

[Rebecca]

Of course my faves are Scarlett and Rhett. Who I most wanted to strangle would have to be Ashley! Who else?!
I named my son Rhett!

[Maximilian]

For avorite character, it's a three way tie between Scarlett, Melanie, and Mammy, i also loved Belle Watling. For least favorite I'm going with Suellen, Scarlett's sister, because she was whiny little bitch who should have dealt with what life gave her instead of pratically killing her own father, so she could live easily.

[Rebecah]

Rebecca wrote: "Of course my faves are Scarlett and Rhett. Who I most wanted to strangle would have to be Ashley! Who else?!
I named my son Rhett!"

That's devotion.
Omg we have the same name. Almost.

[[deleted user]]

I would have to say Scarlett is my favourite character! She is spoiled and bratty however these qualities make her interesting and she shocks you by the choices she makes!
My least favourite character is Prissy, she annoys me so much! The actress in the Movie adaptation conveyed this character so well because her purpose is to purely annoy you!!

[Mena]

Rhett!!!! He is the man!!!!

[Becky]

Rhett Butler, Most interesting by far! He was a Man! & acted like one! Unlike so many girly men now-a-days!!

[Ft]

favourite: RHETT!!!!!!!!!!
least favorite: ASHLEYYYYYY...

[Samia]

My favorite would be Melanie.She's the kindest lady one can ever come across, looking over the dishonor of others because she cannot see bad in others when she herself is so good. She reminds me of Ellen, always a lady at heart but practicality takes over her in times of necessity.She's the only one who holds Captain Butler's respect and he values her opinion like no other.
My least favorite was Ashley-as many would agree- due to his so called honor.He was a man of no spine who never realized that one Melanie was worth a million Scarletts. He was unfaithful to the one person who supported him and overlooked his weakness of looking back at the past when everyone was moving on to the future.

[S]

Has anyone read VANITY FAIR? I think Miss Mitchell borrowed a lot from Thackeray, but in a good way.

[Taylor]

I hate to say this, but I think I may have hated Melanie Wilkes just a bit more than Scarlett did.. (she probably didn't hate her entirely but was just super annoyed all the time). In my opinion, Scarlett and Melanie are the ultimate Frenemies!

[S]

Interesting.

[Annemarie]

I loved that former soldier who came to stay with them in the book. The one that Scarlett hoped her youngest sister would fall in love with and marry (because he had the hots for her) but the sister becomes a nun I think. He's not in the film, but I loved him in the book.
Least favourite - I get that Frank Kennedy is important for the plot, but that's it. He's a plot device if I ever read on. Boring, snore of a man.

[Maedeh]

Rhett is my favourite and I hate scarlet.
I also like Mammy and Melanie.

[[deleted user]]

Love, love, LOVE Rhett.. Scarlett is one I have always wanted to be, she's so pretty and everything. But Melanie is a bit more likable.
Don't mean to hate, but Ashley was the first to come to my mind when it comes to least favs.... as for the yankees in the book I don't know.

I happen to be a yankee myself, so I don't hate them. And Mammy was awesome!!! I would love to have a friend like her! She has a real attitude, but in a good way.

[Sylvia]

Scarlett became my favourite, for her sheer will and determination, and refusal to give in. And because what she achieved, as a woman, was astounding in those times.

I am aware, though, of being caught up in the narrative sweep as I read her story. The necessity of saving Tara became paramount and I forgave her much because she was so remarkable. On a rereading, I might be more critical.

I like the character of Will Benteen very much. Also Mammy and Melanie.

I don't really have a least favourite, but I do have some pretty serious issues with Rhett. He is at least as much to blame as Scarlett for the failure of their marriage, and he's 18 years older than she is. HE needs to grow up, never mind Scarlett. The way he often talks about her is creepy and offensive: "I'm riding you with free rein, but with a curb." Blaarrrgghhh. He loves his daughter, but he also uses her to punish Scarlett, which really disgusts me. His treatment of both of them is horrendously flawed. And he knew Scarlett wasn't maternal when he married her, so why throw it in her face afterwards? She may never become the model parent, but she seems a maturer parent to Bonnie than she was to Wade and Ella, and a lot maturer in many ways than he was. And he was just as much to blame as Ashley for dishonesty with Scarlett. He knew Scarlett was emotionally immature. He let pride rule his actions and expected her to guess what he was thinking and that he loved her. A searingly intelligent man and a dynamic character. But in my opinion, far more flawed than Scarlett. If he'd got off his high horse and been less mocking, sexist and Gothic, the outcome could have been far happier. Instead we get "Scarlett won't love me,so I;m going to sulk and pretend I don't love her." I just don't buy his "No one could have loved you more than that" stance. A deeply flawed love, if ever there was one. There cannot be love without respect. If he didn't respect Scarlett, then he didn't truly love her.

[Read me two times]

I think Scarlett is one of the strongest character ever, so I love her! Ashley is....is...well, I think he doesn't deserve any definition.
Ah, obviously, to a person like Scarlett I think Rhett is just perfect <3

[Gabriela]

Rhett is my favorite character ever. Then comes very closely Scarlett <3

[[deleted user]]

My least favorite character would be Scarlett and Ashley.They would have been better together, you know he needed someone to tell him what to do and Scarlett was more than capable.

[Donny]

My favourite character is Belle Watling,she’s the only woman in the book who doesn’t need a man
She’s a rebel and looks gorgeously over top. My kind of person

[Altair]

Sylvia (message 76) I basically agree with you.

Olivia, my favorite character is Scarlett. She is a survivor and a strong, independent, intelligent, determined woman, with some faults, but that makes her more interesting. Scarlett thinks of herself as being more selfish than she really is. Contrary to what most people would do, she rationalizes her behavior to convince herself she is less caring than she is. To me the essence of this story is Scarlett’s line “ ‘. . . I’m going to live through this, and when it’s over, I’m never going to be hungry again. No, nor any of my folks. If I have to steal or kill — as God is my witness, I’m never going to be hungry again.’ ” Scarlett is not just thinking of herself here, but also her “folks.” I don’t believe that Scarlett would have risked her life and gone through so much for Melanie if she didn’t care for her, if only due to Scarlett indentifying with Melanie as a young woman going through child birth. Jane Austen wrote, in regard to her story Emma “I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” It’s easy for me to believe that Margaret Mitchell would have felt the same way about Scarlet.

Next are both Mammy and Melanie in equal measure. Mammy is a strong intelligent woman who like Scarlett is a survivor. Through her long life she has made the best of a very bad situation that of being a slave. In this she reminds me of Hattie McDaniel who played Mammy. Hattie was not a slave, but lived in a time of gross intolerance toward blacks, but as a result of her determination succeeded. Melanie is also strong, but in ways different than either Scarlett or Mammy. She was not afraid to state what she believed and because of her kindness was able to get others to listen and to agree. Maybe if she was in charge a compromise would have been found so that the South would not have seceded and there would not have been a war. I found reading about Scarlett’s relationship with these two women more interesting than Scarlett’s relationship with any of the men. In fact I see Melanie as being the second most important character in the book and more important than any of the men.

I tend to prefer the female characters over the male characters with two exceptions – Will Benteen and Pork. The very competent and insightful, but poor Will, who is described as a South Georgian “Cracker” is a great contrast to the rich arrogant, shortsighted plantation owners. I like that Pork is shown as going out hunting and fishing and foraging over night cumulating with him going to Macon with the horse and a wagon for five successful weeks. In doing this Pork showed intelligence and resourcefulness and without him the others may not have survived.

Some may be surprised that I also like Prissy who I see as being a 12 year old girl and I have hopes for her in the future as she matures. There are also some unnamed characters I am intrigued with – the Union Army Surgeon who nursed Ellen, Suellen and Carreen and the black family who bought the old Calvert house at a sheriff’s sale.

The character I dislike and after a second reading have begun to despise is Rhett. He is a man who becomes obsessed, almost to the point of insanity, with making a young woman/girl who was less than half his age when they first meet, love him and he tries to do it by alternately degrading her and showering her with gifts. I don’t believe he ever succeeds.

I would like to read what people think about what I wrote and also I ask that people to kindly read and comment on my comments “Race” and GWTW, What would Melanie have said and Thoughts on Gone with the Wind . . .

Altair IV

[Lana]

I m in love with melany and wondering if people like this ever exist , however i feel like scarlett is the closest one to my personality and i hate that so much

[Altair]

Lana, I also like Melanie and I think that people like her do exist, but that most people are on a spectrum some closer and some further. However, I feel that Scarlett has many good qualities and while she has faults her good qualities outweigh her faults. Read the topic “What would Melanie have said?” to see how I feel about Scarlett and kindly comment.

Altair IV,

[Brianna]

My favorite character has to be Melanie or the Tarleton twins. I find Melanie so kind and has great character and the Tarleton twins are hilarious. My least favorite is probably Ashley because he caused unnecessary events and drama to occur which always annoyed me. I love the way the characters develop in the book and I can't say I truly hate any of them.

[Viola]

Having read the book twice in my life, and watched the movie more than once. The book is far better then the movie. I think we all need to remember that the book characters were crafted at a vastly different period of time then today. The first time I watched the movie I considered it very good. The last time, I did more embarrassed laughing, about how condescending the various actors were made portray their characters.

[Ji]

Personally, my favorite was Melanie. My least favorite though, would be Ashley.

[Viola]

Ji wrote: "Personally, my favorite was Melanie. My least favorite though, would be Ashley."

Ashley....a fickle man who was afraid of a strong woman.